Google Maps for Android Gets High-Res, Public Transit-Friendly Update

Google has released an update for its Google Maps for Android app that offers up high-resolution map tiles, new public transportation options, and a revamped navigation screen for devices running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS).

Google today released an update for its Google Maps for Android app that offers up high-resolution map tiles, new public transportation options, and a revamped navigation screen for devices running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS).

With the new version, Google Maps 6.5 for Android, users will have new public transportation options, such as the bus or subway, Harlan Hile, Google software engineer, wrote in a blog post. Users will also be able to select from various route options, such as the recommended route, one with fewer transfers, or one that involves less walking. Transit directions and schedules are provided for 475 cities around the world.

"Whether you just need to get somewhere as fast as possible, or you want to avoid the risk of a missed connection or you prefer not to tire your legs, you can get the transit directions that best suit you," Hile wrote.

The update also brings "crisper, faster" maps for devices with a high-pixel density display, such as the Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy S II, Droid Razr, among others, Hile said. Any such device will get higher-resolution map tiles, making maps less cluttered and easier to read.

Finally, the update will bring a re-designed navigation home screen to devices running Google's latest mobile operating system, Android 4.0 ICS. The new Maps navigation home screen (see above) makes it easier to enter a new destination and select from recent and favorite locations. Most users won't be able to enjoy the new look, however, since only about 1.6 percent of Android devices are currently running ICS.

Regardless, users can download Google Maps 6.5 for Android from Google Play (formerly known as the Android Market). Meanwhile, Hile said the Google Maps for Android navigation feature, which is still in beta, has already provided users with 50 billion kilometers of turn-by-turn directions, or "the equivalent of 130,000 trips to the moon, 334 trips to the sun, 10 trips to Neptune or 0.005 light years."

About the Author

Angela has been a PCMag reporter since January 2012. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a reporter for SC Magazine, covering everything related to hackers and computer security. Angela has also written for The Northern Valley Suburbanite in New Jersey, The Dominion Post in West Virginia, and the Uniontown-Herald Standard in Pennsylvania. She ... See Full Bio

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